


Spectator

by bardic_inspiration



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, im not sure how to tag janus in this sorry, this is me trying to recover from the episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23985511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardic_inspiration/pseuds/bardic_inspiration
Summary: Virgil isn't quite ready to join group conversations yet.("Putting Others First" from Virgil's perspective.)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 115





	Spectator

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers for Putting Others First!**
> 
> I really missed Virgil so I decided to write what might have happened from his perspective.

Virgil curled up on the living room couch, his hood flipped up and a fuzzy blanket pulled over his body even though it wasn’t particularly cold in the mindscape. The soft texture was nice, and he was no Deceit, but he liked the added warmth it brought. It helped keep away some of the unease gnawing at him.

The wedding… well, it hadn’t gone bad, exactly, but it hadn’t gone quite as well as they would have hoped. Roman and Patton had been pacing with unease before finally retreating to their rooms, and just a minute ago, Virgil had felt them both leave the mindscape to talk to Thomas. He wasn’t planning on making an appearance. Watching Frozen with the others had been nice, but after revealing to Thomas that he had been with the others, Virgil felt like he still needed some space. And in all honesty, he wasn’t sure he’d have anything constructive to add to the conversation, anyway.

So he opted to stay on the couch, listening to his music, but keeping one earbud out so he could still hear what was going on around him. The living room was silent, due in large part to both Roman and Patton being gone, but the silence was broken when Logan descended from the staircase, straightening out his tie and glasses.

“You going up?” Virgil asked. Logan nodded and thought for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully.

“In a way. I do not think there’s too much I can add to the conversation, seeing as the scenario is over and done,” he said. “I don’t plan on playing a large role, but it may be beneficial to provide some factual support to the emotional struggle Thomas is currently going through.”

Virgil nodded- he could feel it, the confusion and frustration with the situation. Logan looked him over, taking in his huddled up shape under the blanket.

“Are you not participating today?” he asked. Virgil shrugged.

“Not unless they call me up. I, uh, I don’t really think I should,” he said. Logan frowned.

“I understand you were feeling some guilt in regards to the issue with Remus, but that incident does not mean your input should be seen as any less valuable,” he assured. Virgil couldn’t help but smile a bit at that.

“Thanks. But it’s just… with the stuff that happened after Remus left…” Virgil sighed. “I’m doing better, but I’d rather sit this one out for now. If someone calls me I’ll go up.”

Logan nodded, looking up at the ceiling, taking in the conversation taking place in Thomas’s actual living room.

“Very well. I think I am seeing a good opportunity approaching.”

In an instant, the Logan in front of Virgil began to pixelate. Virgil’s eyes widened as he watched Logan transform into a digital version of himself.

“It appears there is a theme in today’s conflict,” Logan replied when he saw Virgil staring. With that, the pixel-Logan sunk out to go join the others. Virgil stared at the place where he had been standing for a moment. Maybe it was better that he was sitting it out today.

He sighed and huddled deeper into the blanket, never tuning completely into the conversation but making sure to check the mindscape’s atmosphere every once in a while. It still had that same frustration, but never anything severe enough for Virgil to think maybe he should join the party.

He felt his eyes slowly drooping, weary from the anxiety and stress of the last couple weeks, and let them close. It wouldn’t hurt to drift off for a little bit…

A strangled shout jolted him from his sleep. Virgil immediately bolted upright, scrambling to his feet in time to see a pixelated Logan drop down from the ceiling, suspended by a hook caught around the top of his tie. In a flash, the pixels enhanced and he changed back to his normal (HD) form, and the hook- or was it the end of a cane?- dropped him on the floor before quickly ascending back into the ceiling.

Virgil rushed over to Logan, who was in a heap on the floor, clothes and hair ruffled. He helped Logan sit up, and Logan quickly loosened his tie, clearing his throat and wincing.

“Logan what was that, are you okay? What happened?” Virgil asked frantically, looking the logical side over for injuries. Luckily, other than looking a little disheveled, he seemed to be fine.

Logan opened his mouth, but hesitated for a moment, as if he was questioning his ability to answer.

“Of course,” he finally said, then, with confidence after finding himself able to reply, he continued. “I was simply… removed from the conversation in a unique matter. There is a video game theme that appears to be manifesting uniquely.”

Virgil frowned and mentally reached out. Thomas was feeling a little more anxious than usual, but it still wasn’t anything huge. He reached out a hand, helping Logan to his feet.

“Well, there was probably a nicer way to do that,” Virgil muttered, making a mental note to talk to the others when they got back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Logan was noticeably tense as he straightened his tie. His eyes were narrowed, and Virgil knew he was upset at something, even if he wouldn’t admit it. What he just annoyed at being kicked out of the conversation? Was something else going on? What if he really was hurt? Should Virgil have gone up? Should he-

“I am uninjured, although admittedly frustrated with the manner of my exit,” Logan said tersely, snapping Virgil from his thoughts. “I think…”

His voice trailed off and Logan straightened his glasses as he thought for a moment.

“I think I will return to my room and gather some more information. I may try to get at least one more statement through to them,” he said, nodding to himself and heading for the staircase.

“Okay…” Virgil said, putting his hands in his pockets and watching Logan carefully. “Maybe I should go up there. If they aren’t listening to you, they might need someone to reign them in.”

Logan paused in his ascent. His grip on the stair rail tightened.

“You are free to do whatever you want, but I believe-” he stumbled over his words for a moment, paused, then continued. “This may be something they need to sort out on their own. But again, do what you’d like. I will be in my room.”

Virgil nodded, watching as Logan quickly disappeared up the stairs. He shifted back and forth, debating whether or not he should go talk to Thomas. But...

No. Not yet. Not unless he was definitely needed.

He sighed and sat back down on the couch, curling his legs up but staying upright this time, watching for any other appearances and periodically reaching out to monitor the atmosphere of the conversation in the physical world.

He was twirling the strings of his hoodie around his finger when Logan appeared again,luckily not by hook, but looking even more frustrated, his arms crossed tightly around his chest.

“How’d it go?” Virgil asked carefully, watching Logan’s expression.

Logan sighed and lowered his hands, then raised them again, and then lowered them, looking unsure of how he actually wanted to react.

“I made my point and I am staying out of the conversation. I do not believe they want to hear from me right now,” he said shortly, turning away from Virgil and heading for the staircase again. Virgil bit his lip, worried about how the conversation must be going if Logan felt unneeded.

“You know that’s not true, right?” Virgil called as Logan was halfway up the stairs. Logan stopped, but he didn’t turn to look at Virgil. “Logan, if what you did when Remus showed up was any indication, we need you.”

Logan sighed and looked downward.

“Thank you, Virgil,” he said blankly, and Virgil could tell Logan didn’t quite believe him. “I… I suggest maybe listening into a bit of the conversation going on. You can decide whether or not you want to participate, but it may be beneficial to be aware of what is happening.”

“What does that mean?” Virgil asked, getting to his feet. But Logan was already gone.

Worry began to gnaw at Virgil again, and he began to pace the room, chewing on his fingernails and trying to decide what to do. What on Earth was going on out there? It probably wasn’t good if Logan was acting like this. Did he even want to know? If it was bad, what if it got him fired up and he made things even worse?

Then he felt a tug, not a summon, but a flash of worry and anticipation coming from Thomas. Virgil glanced up at the staircase, then with a sigh he closed his eyes and focused on the conversation occuring in Thomas’s living room, immediately met with a raised voice that made him wince.

_“I’m sure you’d have us believe that that time will never come! And even if it does, what’s to stop you from telling us that we’ve done enough good for others, when maybe we could do more?”_

Wait, who was Roman talking to? Certainly not Patton?

_“‘Oh, Thomas dropped a dime in Saint Jude’s charity box, what a good boy you are, Thomas.’ Nay, I say! We are ethically compromised if we give the bananaconda a seat at the table!”_

Deceit was up there. Deceit was up there with Roman and Patton- had he been the one to dump Logan off? Was that why Logan wanted Virgil to listen in, so he could know the extent of what was going on?

Virgil tried to push down his rising panic, refocusing on the conversation going on above.

_“How can we trust him?”_

_“I don’t have a simple answer to that question.”_

Yeah, it was Deceit, all right. But he sounded… different. He didn’t have any of the suave confidence he had displayed when he was questioning Virgil and the others in the courtoom.

_“But here’s a start. My name…”_

Wait, what? What should he do-?

_“My name is Janus.”_

Virgil gritted his teeth and retreated from the concentration, returning his focus to the mindscape and running his hands through his hair. If he had been in that sort of situation, revealing his name, the others had to have been listening to him at least a little bit, enough to not dismiss him as soon as he showed up. Should he have gone up there? Could he have stopped whatever was happening? Had he screwed up again?

Then he felt another spike from Thomas, not a summon, but Virgil could feel fear from the future radiating off of him. Now what should he do? Maybe he’d go up just to make sure everyone was okay.

Before he could act, Roman rose up in the living room, right in front of Virgil, who stumbled back and nearly tripped backwards onto the couch.

“Whoa, w- hey, what’s wrong?” Virgil asked, biting back the sarcastic remark he’d been about to make when he saw Roman’s face.

The prince had tears in his eyes and his hands were visibly shaking. His breaths were ragged and when he met Virgil’s eyes, he quickly stepped away.

“I-I, D-J- he…I don’t...” Roman stammered, running his hands through his hair and shaking his head, turning away and rushing up the stairs.

“Roman, wait!” Virgil called, reaching out, but the prince was too far ahead of him, running up the stairs. Virgil winced as he heard the loud slamming of a door.

He retreated back to the middle of the living room, pacing and wrapping his hoodie strings around his fingers. He didn’t want to go out there. Not now. He didn’t want to see Deceit, not after what happened with Remus- his quick appearance during Frozen had been enough. He couldn’t face him. He felt like he should have to, but… Thomas’s fear was decreasing. It was still present, but not as bad.

Was Deceit- was _Janus_ \- doing something good up there? Maybe he should just leave things be for now, wait until Roman was in the right state to actually talk about what happened.

This time, Virgil did actually run into the next side to rise up into the mindscape’s living room. He had turned to continue his pacing just as Patton appeared, walking straight into him.

“Whoa, kiddo!” Patton called, stumbling back. Virgil quickly grabbed his hand and righted him before he could fall over.

“Sorry, I probably should avoid this part of the room if I’m gonna be pacing,” Virgil noted, stuffing his hands into his jacket’s pockets. “Patton, what’s been going on? Something was up with Logan and Roman’s really upset.”

Patton winced, wringing his hands.

“Yeah, some, uh… some things were said out there that we need to sort through. It’s been a really long day for everyone. I’m actually going to go check on Roman right now,” he said, tugging at the sleeves of his cat hoodie. “When I’m done I can fill you in on some stuff, though.”

Virgil shook his head.

“No, don’t worry about it tonight. Just go get some sleep, we can talk about it in the morning. I think I’m just going to try to relax for now. Thomas needs his rest,” he said, guiltily thinking to the night before, when his struggles to stop worrying about the wedding had probably kept Thomas from getting a full night’s sleep.

“Sounds good, kiddo,” Patton said, patting Virgil on the shoulder before walking upstairs. Virgil watched him go before turning away and heading to the kitchen, his heart sinking.

He just felt… detached. He’d felt detached and he was probably only making things worse by not participating in the conversation today, but he didn’t know what else to do. He just had to ride this whole wedding thing out until Thomas let it go, then maybe Thomas would be willing to be around Virgil a little bit more. After what Virgil had told him, though, he wouldn’t be surprised if that wasn’t the case.

Virgil mechanically poured himself a bowl of Lucky Charms- what staved off anxiety more than some nighttime cereal? He used the last of the milk and made a mental note to get one of the others to refill the jug tomorrow. Logan liked a particular kind, and Virgil could never remember the difference between whole and 2%, so he always just left it be.

He sat down on the couch, tucking his legs in, and hadn’t even raised the spoon before someone appeared in front of him, wearing an all too familiar black, gray, and yellow outfit.

At the sight of De- Janus- Virgil jumped, somehow miraculously not spilling his cereal as he quickly set it on the table and got to his feet.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped.

Janus turned to face him, but instead of looking cocky, he looked confused, looking around the living room.

“I just- I just sunk out,” Janus stammered, before recovering and stranding up a bit taller. “I have every idea what I’m doing over here.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. Had Janus just defaulted to their living room instead of the one on the other side?

“What’s going on?” Virgil asked, his fingers curling into fists, digging his nails into his palms. “Why are you here?”

Janus laughed softly, shaking his head.

“Things appear to be changing,” he said softly, turning away and heading for the door under the stairs that led to the other side. “I’m very sorry for the intrusion-”

Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“It won’t be happening again.”

What?

Janus waved to him as he opened the door, smiling. Not smirking, not jabbing, but smiling, looking genuinely happy.

“You didn’t miss a thing today.”


End file.
